


Secrets

by Wicked_Anon



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Female Homosexuality, Gay, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Homosexuality, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Lesbian, Lesbian Character, Lesbians, gay bugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24915754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wicked_Anon/pseuds/Wicked_Anon
Summary: A sudden meeting turns into a day of accepting.
Relationships: Herrah the Beast & The Pale King (Hollow Knight), Herrah the Beast/The Pale King (Hollow Knight), Hornet/Lace (Hollow Knight)
Kudos: 52





	Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ  
> In case you haven't read the tags, this fanfiction contains mentions of Homophobia and semi-mature language. Viewer Discretion is Advised.

Hornet stood tall and proud against the wall of the abandoned building. The tight-knit homes and buildings of the deeper areas of Dirtmouth brought a slight sense of security. Hardly anyone would wander this far into the once-great city. Not after seeing how abandoned and empty everything was. 

She’d received a letter with an anonymous source asking to meet her here. Whoever summoned her picked an amazing spot for a kill. The thought made her hand tighten on the end of her nail. It also gave her a great advantage. Gave her opponent less area to dodge her nail. And she could be quite fast, jump high, and climb walls to some extent. She was the daughter of a spider queen, after all. Her mother may have left her to a dead-beat father, but she passed on some incredible genes   
The light tapping of footsteps approaching made her back straighten. She drew her nail and took up a battle stance. They were moving slow. Walking? No, no one would dare approach her so calmly. Where were they coming from? The entrance of the alleyway, in the street. They were merely going to approach her? No. A new take on an ambush? It wouldn’t be effective in catching her off guard. As she braced herself for them to suddenly be above her, a figure turned the corner, jumping a little at the sight of a warrior ready Hornet.

“Whoa! Hey, relax!” They called out, amusement laced into their voice. “I mean you no harm, little spider.”  
The nickname gave them away before they removed the hood of their cloak. Frustration leaked into Hornet's tone before she could even mutter a word, her grip on her nail tightening as she rubbed her temples.

“What do you want, Lace?”

Lace giggled to herself, her smile giving Hornet butterflies that she swears are nausea.  
“My oh my, so temperamental! I simply came to let you know that I know your little secret!”

Her tone remained cheerful, yet Hornet's anger and fear rose drastically. Though she held a relatively straight face.   
“And which one of my many ‘secrets’ could you possibly have summoned me here for?”

Lace continued to giggle, though this time it held less of its warm tone, falling to something rather seductive and mischievous.  
“Simply of your attraction to bugs with an ovipositor~”

Hornet felt bile rise in her throat and blush rush to her face. She raised her nail, aiming it at Lace’s throat with her teeth gritting.  
“Did you just claim that I may be one of those disgusting homos?”

Venom dripped from her voice. Such an assumption made her want to throw up more than anything! Laces reaction wasn’t one of humor, but of disbelief and pain.  
“Disgusting? Hornet, what the fuck you can’t be serious.”

“Oh-ho I’m serious alright!” She yelled, approaching Lace with heavy feet, her nail so close to her Lace had to step back. “Those things are disgusting. An unnatural freak of nature that poisons this already godforsaken world.”

Lace hardly had time to speak, her expression changing. Her brows furrowed, and her lips formed a tight line. She was angry. She opened her mouth to retort, but Hornet wouldn’t give her time.

“They’re unnatural and vile. A same-sex couple can’t reproduce, much less have or, fuck, if you wanna bring adoption into this, raise a strong enough child to survive on the face of this earth! And the fact that you would even insinuate such a thing is an insult to me and all of my kind.”

Tears welled in Lace’s eyes, frustration and rage clearer on her face than a yellow stain. Her teeth grit together, her fists clenched tight. Without a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed Hornets nail from her neck and twisted it, effectively releasing it from Hornet's grasp and tossing it to the side. She rushed forward, grabbing Hornets’ wrists and pinning her to the wall just behind them.

“And where the fuck did you get that idea from, huh? Your parents, your 'buddies'?”

Hornet seethed inside.

“It's common sense, something you clearly don’t have.”

Lace’s grip only tightened.

“Being gay is just fine! In what shithole fairytale do you live in where it isn’t?!”

“Oh please! All of Deepnest knew that much basic information!”

Hornet’s retort made Lace react differently. Her grip loosened, but not enough for Hornet to get away.  
“What’d you say?”

“Have you got your ears full of silk? That’s how shit is run in Deepnest. Why do you think everyone is so afraid of it?”

Lace gave her a look. One of confusion, and pain, but not her own. Hornet rolled her eyes. 

“Deepnest is a superior place. That’s why they never accepted the kingdom or the Pale King. He was all about acceptance and compliance and all that other fairytale bullshit. Deepnest knew how to survive. The stronger mate with the strong and the weak are tossed to the centipedes. All homos would do is fuck up that cycle. They’re a fucking disease.”

Lace looked contemplative. She opened her mouth to retort but had nothing to say. She closed her eyes and huffed out a breath, tightening her grip on Hornet’s wrists before leaning in, too quick for Hornet to dodge. Their lips met, and holy shit they were so fucking soft.   
Hornet felt bile rise in her throat, meanwhile, her stomach did flips of all sorts. Her heart raced, her face began to heat up. She convinced herself it was nausea rising. Her mind raced and blanked all at once. She couldn’t breathe. She raised a knee, jabbing it into Lace’s stomach hard enough for her to pull away. Hornet wiped her mouth off and coughed, panting. 

“What the fuck?!” She yelled, though her voice came out far more confused than pissed.

“How did your chest feel?”

“What? Why the hell do you-”

“Answer the damn question.”

Hornet seethed for a moment, crossing her arms before complying.  
“Like I was about to fucking hurl! What was that?!”

“You had butterflies, didn’t you?”

Hornet tsked. “Absolutely not. That was horrid.”

“Hornet, I’m not dumb. Just...listen to me.”

Hornet complied, shutting up and giving her a look of ‘im waiting’.

“You had butterflies. Strong ones. That’s what happens when you’re around someone you care about in more ways than just a friendly rival.”

Hornets brows furrowed. “What the hell are you suggesting there?”

“That you’re fucking gay, Hornet! Look at yourself! You have a history of never showing attraction to anyone remotely masculine your entire life, always blush when you’re around other girls- no, don’t say shit! We’ve all seen it but you! And the last time a guy pinned you to a wall you nearly broke his shell! Yet I did it and you just went along with it while your heart raced and you ignored it!”

She wasn’t wrong, but still. Hornet refused to believe her.

“I am by absolutely no means a dirty fucking-”

“Homo? A disgusting vile thing that should be thrown to hell because they feel attraction towards someone other than the opposing sex?”

Her own words thrown back into her face hurt more than she expected. It rendered her speechless. She turned her head, tsking once more. Sure, she got a little excited during a kiss. Who wouldn’t? That was natural Even...Even if it’s only happened with Lace. And even if the last time a guy kissed her she felt nothing, she was naive then! Even if Lace gave her butterflies, and she felt pulled to let her take over the situation when her emotions were high…

“I-I’m not-”

“You are Hornet! And that’s just fine! It’s natural! Despite your own words, you know it just as much as I do!

Still, Hornet said nothing.

“You were raised to believe it was a bad thing but it isn’t! It’s normal, and completely natural and not in your control rather you like it or not!   
Hornet felt like throwing up, but it felt different now. The embarrassing kind. Like when she would trip up a move mid training and someone saw her. She was so sure of herself a minute ago. What the hell did a kiss mean? 

“A kiss doesn’t change the fact that-”

“That Deepnest isn’t feared for shit? That it’s hated because it’s unaccepting and acts on instinct? That it refuses to learn the ways of common bugs and chooses to be primal and cruel and cold?”

That’s...the first time she’s been told that one.   
“What?”

“Oh my god, don’t play dumb! Even goddess Unn allowed herself the burden of mind! Your own damn father taught our parents everything and they taught us! Deepnest just refused to fucking change since the last thousand years have passed!”

“I-”

“You what? Let me guess, they told you people would fear you and to be careful out in the world because everyone is out to get you?”

Well...yeah. That’s how Hornet was raised by the Midwife and others in Deepnest…

“S-Still...I-I’m not-”

“Hornet.”

Her tone was firm, yet gentle. Something soft and accepting and full of pity. It made Hornet tense.

“Don’t.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t use that tone of voice on me, missy. I don’t need your fucking pity. I grew up just fucking fine thank you, and that has nothing to do with-”

Lace's look gave her all the words she needed to hear. She was wrong in her assumptions, in how she’d been taught. She admits, she never had her ideal home life. But… everything? 

“I have no pity for you, Hornet. I only pity those who refuse to change for the better...You’re not like that, and you know it.”  
Hornet gripped her cloak tight, subconsciously trying to cover herself up. Lace smiled and stepped closer. Hornet flinched, and she slowed down, gently taking Hornet’s hands and looking her in the eyes. They held so much warmth, and love, and passion, and god they were so damn pretty. They made Hornet dizzy in ways she never knew were possible. Tears of fear and shame welled up in her eyes.

“Hornet. It’s okay. You’re perfect, sweetie. It’s okay.”

Even now, after all she’d said, her voice was like warm honey. So welcoming and kind and understanding and so damn unfair.

“I-I’m…”  
She started, realization finally dawning on her as tears fell from her eyes. But everything she’d been taught, told, hyped up about…

“It’s okay. You can say it. It’s okay.”

“I-I…”

It was all lies.

“Im...gay.”

She’d said it. Outloud and all and by the gods did it feel good. It felt so much better now that she’s said it. Tears fell faster, heavier, her face contorted in relief. A sky's worth of weight she hadn’t realized she was carrying, gone. She pulled Lace a little closer, letting her cup her cheeks. She held her hands there, reveling in their warmth. In the softness of her skin, the rough calloused fingers.

“I’m gay.”

She said it again. It came out as a mix of a sob and a laugh. Joy and fear and confusion all washing over her at once. Lace hushed her and caressed her cheeks, wiping tears away as they fell and smiling softly at her.

“Yes, you are. And that’s just fine.”

Hornet’s hands dropped, and she let the weight fall. Years of crushes and stomped out feelings, of self-disgust she’d ignored late at night... She felt at ease. She felt sure. 

“Lace I-I…”  
It came out slowly, her heart racing a dozen miles an hour as the words formed in her head.

“I-I...like you.”

The moment she’d said it she’d regretted it. Fear piled up, her mind spun.  
After all she’d just said? Lace wouldn’t like her back. She’d be alone in accepting this for herself. She’d struggle to find a partner, she’d scare Lace away, she’d-  
A soft kiss against her lips scattered her thoughts. Her lips were sweeter than before, yet still so soft. As delicate as a rose petal and as sweet as the Hive’s honey. Hornet pressed on, moving her lips slowly, pulling away for a split second before going back in for just a little more. So silky, so soft, so sweet, so addictive in ways she could’ve never-  
And like that it stopped, leaving Hornet wanting more every second. She’s ashamed to say she’d whined a little, making Lace giggle in the way that always made Hornet's heart flutter a little.   
“I like you too, little spider.”

Hornet chased her lips once more, joy and relief overtaking any bad emotions she’d felt prior. She loved this. She loves Lace. She loved this feeling. This weightlessness. This dizzy feeling. This.   
And for once in her life? She wasn’t ashamed to love.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for being inactive! I've been dragged into this fandom by my partner, and have sorta become obsessed. I need to work on my other fic, i know. But my motivation for it is currently dead. I'll do what I can. Thank you for your understanding.


End file.
